Tag: Brooklyn Nets

Nets superstar Kevin Durant says he is ‘on a different level’ in his mental approach

Kevin Durant says his mental fortitude has improved to a different level

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant has had to face a lot of challenges in order to get to where he is in his career as a player. Whether it be fighting through injuries, dealing with large deficits, or just tough nights shooting the ball, Durant has shown the ability to be calmer under pressure each time he faces it.

The latest example of that came in the Nets’ 124-121 win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. Durant was having a good game, but when Brooklyn was down 19 points, he needed to step his game up to help his team weather the storm.

Durant ended up scoring 26 of his 43 points in the third quarter as he took advantage of the matchups he was getting. He was able to shoot over anyone that was guarding him and he was masterful in getting to the free-throw line to pile up the points and slow the Pistons’ momentum.

For Durant to be able to do what he did, he had to have a strong mental resolve. He explained postgame how his mental game has grown over the years:

“I feel like I never know how opposing teams are gonna guard me, what schemes they’re gonna throw at me, sometimes, it’s some new stuff that I haven’t seen before. At this point, I’ve seen a lot of different coverages over the last couple of years so I’m trying to stay prepared for that. That’s definitely how I can keep getting better. Just reading the defense even more.

I just think mentally, I understand the game more. I’m not too surprised by anything that’s thrown at me. I could say I’m on a different level mentality-wise than I was as a younger player a few years ago.”

Brooklyn’s next game is at Barclay’s Center on Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors.

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Nets guard Edmond Sumner says ‘details’ led to comeback win over Pistons

Edmond Sumner says playing harder in the second half helped the Nets come back to beat the Pistons.

The Brooklyn Nets have had their share of adversity as this season has gone on. From having a slow start to this season to firing Steve Nash to Ben Simmons being in and out of the lineup, the Nets have shown the ability to push through any obstacles that come their way.

In their 124-121 win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, Brooklyn answered their latest test with an impressive amount of resiliency and character. At one point, the Nets were down 19 points against the Pistons that had no business leading Brooklyn, let alone by 19 points.

The Nets have struggled with starting games strong especially against lesser opponents like the Pistons. But, thanks to Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, they’ve been able to overcome some of those deficits to earn victories.

However, if Brooklyn wants to win a championship, they do not want to rely on that result happening every time. Guard Edmond Sumner, who had five points and five assists off the bench, gave his take on why Brooklyn was able to complete the comeback:

“We were bringing the energy, being locked in. We felt like this game was a details game. You can’t ever underestimate your opponents, they’re all pros, they’re a really good young team, and I felt like in the second half, we really locked in on the defensive end. We can get all the buckets in the world, but if we can’t get stops, you see in the first half, they had a 19-point lead which is crazy.”

The Nets next game is at home on Wednesday vs. the Golden State Warriors.

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Nets coach Jacque Vaughn says team played harder in second half to beat Pistons

Jacque Vaughn says that the Nets were able to come back to beat the Pistons through playing harder in the second half

The Brooklyn Nets found a way to beat the Pistons on Sunday 124-121 despite being down as many as 19 points over the course of the game. The Nets started the game slowly as they allowed Detroit to win the first quarter 35-21.

It was evident early on that the Nets came out with no urgency and no energy to take on the lowly Pistons. Coaching played a factor in the Nets slow start as the Pistons tried to keep all of the supporting players in check with the hope that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving didn’t beat them by themselves.

Unfortunately for Detroit, Durant and Irving had stellar nights as the Pistons faltered down the stretch. The Nets have made a habit of starting games slowly and have been fortunate enough to be able to come back to win.

Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn spoke on how the Nets were able to come back to win this game:

“Pretty unhappy with ourselves at halftime. Just overall concentration level which we talked about before the game. So, it wasn’t where it needed to be. Luckily, we had another half to play. Another third quarter by that group, 25 points in the third, 25 points in the fourth. So, to be able to them to 50 points in the half. Turned our concentration level up, our want up, need to, all of the above to get the win”.

Brooklyn’s next game is Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors.

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NBA Twitter reacts to the Nets overcoming 19-point deficit to beat the Pistons

NBA Twitter reacts to the Nets coming back from down 19 points to beat the Pistons.

The Brooklyn Nets started this 124-121 win essentially sleepwalking through the first half. The Nets were sloppy on offense and defense was an afterthought as many Pistons had open shots that resembled pregame workouts.

However, Brooklyn was lucky to have Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to turn to when no other player could get it going on offense. Durant and Irving took over in the second half as they were able to score at will no matter the defender.

The Pistons lost their game because they are the lesser team, but they played hard for the entire game as young teams tend to do. After some time, it just showed that Durant and Irving were too much for Detroit to keep up with.

NBA Twitter reacted to the Nets winning this game after being down as many as 19 points:

Nets star Kevin Durant felt James Harden could’ve been in better shape while with Brooklyn

Kevin Durant thought James Harden could’ve been in better shape while with Brooklyn

Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant had disagreements with Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden during his time with the Nets, according to an piece done by Fox Sports’ Yaron Weitzman. Harden’s physical condition was one of the things that caused Durant to have issues with the partnership.

Even though the Nets’ offense was one of the best in the league when Durant, Harden, and Kyrie Irving were on the floor at the same time, that three-man group did not happen as much as expected partly because of Harden’s struggle with his hamstrings. Despite being one of the more well-conditioned athletes in the NBA, Harden had issues putting the hamstring pulls behind him for good.

During the 2020-2021 season after being traded to Brooklyn, Harden missed significant time in the regular-season and in the playoffs with his recurring hamstring injury and it appeared to frustrate those on the Nets, including Durant. Weitzman explained what led up to Harden and Durant butting heads:

“Harden and Durant, according to multiple Nets sources, butted heads during the season – Durant didn’t think Harden was in peak physical shape, and told him as much; Harden, meanwhile, struggled to adjust to an ecosystem where everything was no longer catered to him.

According to a friend, Harden also became frustrated with the Nets training staff and its focus on maintenance, rest and recovery; after all, in Houston he’d run stadium stairs and lift – even after games sometimes – and he never got hurt.

‘Once it got to a certain point, James was just over all of it,’ a Nets staffer said.”

The Nets next game is Sunday against the Detroit Pistons.

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Nets at Pistons game preview: How to watch, TV Channel, start time

Here’s the preview for Sunday’s game between the Nets and the Pistons.

The Brooklyn Nets visit the Detroit Pistons on Sunday for the first of three games in the regular-season series between the two teams this season. Brooklyn comes into this game with a 18-12 record (fourth in the Eastern Conference) while Detroit comes into this contest with a 8-23 record (14th).

The Nets are on a five-game winning streak and have won nine of its past 10 games. Brooklyn has found a groove recently thanks to the team committing to playing defense and trying to out-rebound the opponent every game. The Pistons are reeling as they have lost seven of its past 10 games and have lost guard Cade Cunningham for the season due to shin surgery.

Here’s when and where you should tune in to see the matchup:

Six Brooklyn Nets that are eligible to be traded after December 15th

Here are the players that can now be traded from the Nets

The Brooklyn Nets have six players that are now eligible to be included in trades now that Dec. 15 is in the rear view mirror. HoopsHype compiled a list ranking those six players by global rating to give an idea of the value among the players.

The Nets have one of the more top-heavy rosters in the NBA. The best players on the team are: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons. But, some of the supporting players are good too. Players like Nic Claxton, Joe Harris, and Royce O’Neale have been pivotal for the Nets having a 18-12 record that’s good for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

As it stands, Brooklyn is on a five-game winning streak and have won nine of their past 10 games. However, with the Nets trying to win a championship this season, it’s possible that they could make a trade to make the team better.

Here are the players that can be traded now that Dec. 15 has come and gone:

Jae Crowder is a possible trade target for the Brooklyn Nets per B/R

Jae Crowder is on the Nets’ radar per Bleacher Report

Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder is a possible trade target for the Brooklyn Nets, per Bleacher Report earlier this week. Crowder has not played this season as he and the Suns agreed to let him stay home until a trade is found for him.

Crowder is in the last year of his deal and he is owed $10.1 million. Crowder wanted out of Phoenix because he was losing playing to forward Cameron Johnson, who seems to be the forward of the future for the Suns. Crowder is an all-around good player who can provide a good amount to a team like the Nets.

The Nets are currently 18-12 (fourth in the Eastern Conference) and are on a five-game winning streak. Brooklyn appears to be in a groove right now, but they can always use some help in the frontcourt. B/R gives their take on why the Nets would be interested in Crowder:

“If the Nets don’t feel the need to swing that big, then frontcourt depth will be the target. They have nothing behind Nic Claxton at center—Day’Ron Sharpe isn’t a rotation regular—and the forward spots could use someone such as Crowder, who would supply defense, toughness, experience and some degree of shot-making.”

The Nets next game is Sunday at the Detroit Pistons.

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Nets’ Kevin Durant is second-most efficient shooter in the NBA per B/R

Kevin Durant is the second-best shooter in the NBA per B/R

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant has been named as the second-most efficient shooter in the NBA, per Bleacher Report. This list was put together by essentially combining different metrics to come to a composite score that represents how good a player is at shooting from the mid-range, the corner three, and threes from above the break.

Durant has been one of the best shooters in the NBA throughout his career as he has shot 49.8% from the field, 38.3% from behind the three-point line, and 88.5% from the free-throw line. This season, Durant is only shooting 35.3% from three-point land this season, but he is still shooting 56.2% from the field and 92.5% from the charity stripe.

Durant has always been an efficient shooter throughout his NBA tenure and B/R gave their explanation on what makes Durant such a good shooter:

“Leave it to Kevin Durant to emerge as the second-most efficient shooter alive without delivering hellfire from deep. Regardless, despite grading out as a negative-value shooter beyond the arc, Durant has a higher mid-range score than anyone else alive. His 177 attempts trail only DeMar DeRozan, and he’s finding the bottom of the net on those looks a logic-defying 55.4 percent of the time. It’s almost scary that KD has the runway to improve—and the track record to suggest that he will. His 33.9 percent clip from long range would be the second lowest of his career. He’s one typical-KD-shooting stretch away from seeing his score skyrocket.”

The Nets’ next game is Sunday at the Detroit Pistons.

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Report: Nets’ Kevin Durant a trade target of the Los Angeles Lakers

Could Kevin Durant be going to the Lakers?

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant is reportedly a trade target of the Los Angeles Lakers according to a report earlier this week by The Athletic’s Jovan Buha. Durant is likely a trade target of every team in the NBA so it makes sense that the Lakers would be interested in his services.

For context, Durant requested a trade during this past offseason when he was dissatisfied with the direction of the Nets organization at that time. However, Durant was not traded because the Nets wanted more for him than any other team was willing to offer.

Since this season has started, both the Lakers and Nets have had rough stretches. It should be noted that even though the Lakers are 12-16 (12th in the Western Conference), the Nets are 18-12 (fourth in the Eastern Conference) and are on a five-game winning streak. It looks like both teams are going in different directions right now.

Unless things start going horribly wrong for the Nets, it’s hard to see them parting with Durant at this time. Buha admits that trading for Durant is a unlikely scenario:

“In the ultimate pie-in-the-sky scenario, the Lakers have interest in Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal if any of the three stars were to become available.”

The Nets’ next game is Sunday at the Detroit Pistons.

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